Rule Breakers
by SunnyInOregon
Summary: When Penelope is kidnapped along with Reid, Dave doesn't know how to handle the situation.


They had agreed years ago when they first started dating that work was left at work and personal feelings were left at home. It had been easy for him. He was the one who ventured into the field and faced danger, while she stayed at the office, looking up information on the internet and monitoring the situation.

It had annoyed him at first, when he would return from a case and she would wrap her arms around him and tremble. But soon, he came to expect it, and should the day ever come when she didn't tremble in his arms, that's the day he should worry. He never worried about her he hadn't needed to.

They swept the floor, guns drawn, which housed the BAU as the fire alarm blared in his ears. He knew, somehow, that she wasn't there and he hoped it was because she had evacuated the building and was downstairs not answering her phone because she was busy. It wasn't until JJ called and said that Penelope's and Reid's phones were in the car that his heart dropped to his stomach. He struggled to keep his emotions in check.

When Emily's eyes locked with his, he spoke as blandly as he could. "They're okay. We're going to find them."

She nodded in reply, but he could tell she knew he was scared.

He stood in front of the board, studying the faces posted there while purposely avoiding the picture of her. He frowned and concentrated on the information in front of him, except his mind wandered to her. The sound of her laughter, the smell of her perfume, the taste of her kisses, the touch of her hand in his and the sight of her beautiful, vibrant smile filled his mind.

He listened as the others talked, and spoke up only when an important piece of information needed to be shared. The group was in the middle of discussing Liberty Ranch when she appeared. Scared and disheveled, she rambled off the information of her captors to the group. As he ran past her, they locked eyes for a moment – he wanted to stop and take her into his arms, but this was neither the time nor the place.

He knew she was frustrated from her body language. Shoulders tense, arms stiff, with her face set between a frown and a glare. It was like she was trying to cocoon herself away from the rest of the world. He watched as she struggled to maintain her composure and when she snapped at Simmons and rushed from the room, he knew it was time to bring out their feelings at work.

He halted JJ, as she was about to follow Penelope, instead following her himself. He found her in her office sitting in the dark. She sat in her chair, back to the door. He flicked on a lamp sitting on her desk. She spun around and visibly jumped when she saw him.

"Don't even start," she growled.

He leaned against the back table without replying.

"I mean it, David. I'm not like you. I can't just tuck my feelings away and pretend that everything is alright," she continued. "I can't compartmentalize like you guys do."

"I know," he replied softly. "I'm not asking you to."

She jumped to her feet and began to pace back and forth. "It's hard enough to be here and not know what is happening to you guys in the field. This time I was there! I saw what they did to Spenser. I can't do this."

"Do you see this," he asked softly.

She stopped pacing and looked at him, frowning when she saw him pointing to the ring on his left hand.

"When we got married, we made a vow to love each other in sickness and in health until death do us part."

His was voice was shaky and so low that she almost had to stop breathing to hear him.

He continued. "Losing Spenser would be devastating, losing you is incomprehensible. From the moment I learned you were missing, that ability to compartmentalize was blown into a million pieces. I've never given one thought to losing you – not in a permanent manner."

His voice cracked. "We've had our rough times, times when I thought you were going to either leave me or kill me, but I never imagined you might die before me – until now. I love you more than life itself, Penelope. I know I'm being selfish right now, but I need to hold you. To know that you are real and that you are okay."

Her face softened. In two strides she was in front of him. He buried his face in her neck and clung to her. She wrapped her arms around him as tears streamed unbidden down her reddened cheeks. He trembled in her arms. They held each other tightly silently sharing their emotions.

After the trembling stopped and the flow of tears stemmed, they parted enough to look at each other. She gently wiped the tears from his face as he did the same for her.

"We're going to be okay," she told him softly.

"Yes, we are," he agreed. "And so is Spenser."

She leaned forward and kissed him, a kiss that lingered. Once parted, she laid her head on his chest.

"We're going to find him, Kitten." He kissed the top of her head and squeezed her gently. "Now that I know you're okay, I can concentrate on Spenser."

She smiled and pressed herself tighter to him. "I know, my love. I can concentrate now as well."

"Good. And you need to apologize to Matt."

She chuckled and pulled back to look at him. "All these years we've managed not to break rule number one. I knew it wouldn't last forever."

He touched his forehead to hers. "Some things are worth breaking the rules for. I love you."

"I love you too. Now let's go find Spenser so we can go home," she ordered as she stepped out of his arms.

He watched her stride purposefully out of her office. Now that the emotions were in check, they could both do their jobs. She was his forever and he would do anything and everything to make that forever be a very long time.

~finis~


End file.
